


Little Red

by Kigichi



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: (kinda), God!Thor, Human!Justin, Humans with magic are thought evil, M/M, Magical creatures are considered dangerous and inhuman, Romance, Suspense, Wearwolf!Bucky, and a little bit of sex, human!tony, mage!Steve, more tags to be added as needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-10-07
Packaged: 2018-12-20 14:37:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11922975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kigichi/pseuds/Kigichi
Summary: Over the river and through the woods...We all know the story. Little girl goes through the dangerous forest to visit her grandmother, but when she gets there her granny is gone and the Big Bad Wolf is in her place, ready to snap up and eat little red.This is not that story. In this story Little Red is a full grown man trying to change the world with the ideas, and the Big Bad Wolf just wants to live in peace away from the Huntsman that would have his head on a spike.Neither of them ever considered love.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my second ever Bucky/Tony fic, but unlike my first, this one is going to be a multi-chapter. Updated will be random, and sometimes far in between because of life, so I apologize ahead of time. 
> 
> All errors are mine due to lack of beta reader.

It was a crisp, cool morning and the birds were just waking up, their soft chirps echoing through the air. Pepper Potts sat at her windowsill, teacup in hand and a hot scone on a plate in front of her, looking down at the small town that she called home. 

It was one of those rare days when she awoke before the church bells sounded out, when only the bakers and milk boys were up and about, preparing their bounty for the day, and soon the air would be filled with the scent of baking bread and sweet pastries, an enticing aroma made to draw people from their homes to start their day. 

Taking a small sip from the fine cup in her hands, the redhead closed her eyes and rest her head against the cool glass in front of her, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out slow. It was times like this, when the world was at peace, that she felt that it was all worth it. The paperwork, the money juggling, chasing down errant clients that refuse to pay, shoddy lies ready on the tips of their tongues once they spot the woman in their doorway, hands on her hips and fire in her eyes. Yes, despite all of the headaches and stress, Pepper could truly say that she enjoyed her life.

_BOOM_

Well, most of the time. 

"Well, it was nice while it lasted." Tipping her head back, Pepper swiftly chugged down the rest of her tea, the liquid lukewarm and sugar sweet, giving her a much needed caffeine boost for what she was about to face. Setting the cup down, she stood up from her place on the window and shoved half of the scone into her mouth in one bite, chewing quickly as she made her way out of her room and down the wooden staircase, pausing for a moment to kick her slippers off and slip on a pair of flats, the soft thuds of the well molded leather echoing through the spacious house as she made her way to the front door and outside, stepping around the house to where a second, one story building sat, smoke pouring out from the open windows. 

Stopping in front of the cracked door, Pepper sucked in a slow breath, barking out. "TONY! JUSTIN!"

Two soft squeaks sounded out from the smoke, loud smashes and cursing following after as the two men inside the building scrabbled to get out the door. Pepper had to bite back a smile when they finally appeared, shoulders wedging against each other, twin yelps coming from them when they were stopped short, struggling for a moment to untangle themselves.

"Pull back!"

"I can't pull back, I'm stuck, YOU pull back, you're smaller than I am."

"How about you suck in your fat ass and get your elbow out of my kidney, Hammer? That would get us free real quick!"

"I AM NOT FAT, YOU SHORT LITTLE TWERP!"

Heaving out a deep sigh, Pepper gazed upwards, silently praying to the gods for patience. Already she could hear the neighbors next door shuffling about, awoken by the explosion from a few moments earlier. She was going to have to make a stop at the bakery for a few plates of cookies to make up for the commotion. Again. 

Tapping her foot, the redhead clapped her hands together twice, the sharp sound cutting through the men's squabbling. "Boys! It is VERY early and I would appreciate it if you would come out of the doorway so the shop can clear out in time for you to open later." She was met with widened eyes. Well, one set. Justin's goggles were coated in soot again so she could not see his, but she knew him well enough to know that he was mirroring Tony's expression perfectly. 

Stomping her foot, she gave a sharp snap. "Now!"

Jumping into action, Tony managed to wedge himself back enough to give Justin a push, shoving the taller man out the door where he skipped forward a few steps before stumbling down and falling flat onto his face, groaning into the dirt. 

Tony stepped out behind him, proud smile on his face. "There. Out. What's up, Pep?" Brushing the soot from his hands, Tony smiled at Pepper, the look slowly falling from his face when he noticed the stern glare that was being leveled at him. "Pep?"

"Do you," Pepper started, taking a few steps forward, aiming a small kick to Justin's side where he was laying prone on the ground, the man jerking with a soft squeak and curling into himself but still remaining on the ground. "have any idea what time it is? What time did you two even go to sleep?" Peering closer at Tony, Pepper finally noticed the bruises under the soot and ash on his face. She had a feeling that if she was to lift them, the same patches would be under Justin's goggles. "DID you two even sleep?" 

On the ground Justin groaned and curled up even further, lifting the end of his long jacket and flipping it over his head. Tony shuffled his feet, looking past Pepper's shoulder and at the few trees lining the edge of the fence marking off his property. "We may have caught a nap or two...I think. It all got kind of blurry after the copper piping was done."

Rubbing at her temples, Pepper made a mental note to see Bruce soon for some more herbs. "Okay. Up and inside. I don't care what you two do in your spare time, but that does NOT mean that you get to skip out today." Justin groaned from his place on the dirt, kicking out in displeasure. "You know the rules. If you don't sleep, you suffer. Now march, boys. You have at least five orders that are due before noon and I'm sure with the end of the cold season approaching, you will have a lot more requests for new tools by the end of the day."

Tony ran his fingers through his hair and nodded, walking over to where his friend lay and pulled him up. "Okay, fine. But coffee first. Nothing will get done without coffee."

"Deal. I'll get the coffee and you and Justin get ready for the day. I expect you down in thirty minutes."

\----  
Smoothing down his shirt, Tony looked at himself in the tall glass mirror leaning against the wall. The crisp white undershirt and black button down fit perfectly, and again Tony had to admire the workmanship of the town’s seamstress. Batty, as he liked to call her, had been around since before he was born, and every time he needed something made she was the first one he went to. A bit of flirting went a long way when it came to price, and Tony always left her smiling after his visits. 

Running a thumb across the golden buttons on the shirt, he grinned, remembering the small pinch his earned to his bottom when Batty had shown them to him. Yes, sometimes it paid to be favorite. A brown belt completed the outfits, and Tony leaned down to adjust his deerskin boots, the three silver clasps in his ear shining in the morning sun. Normally he would not be wearing something a fine as this, but he and Justin had deliveries to make, and that meant cleaning up a bit to look good for their clients. 

Stepping out of the room, he met Justin in the hall, the younger man fitting his newly cleaned goggles onto his face, a dark blue vest with silver clasps fitted smartly over a white shirt with a black belt around his waist. It was a far cry from the torn and sooty pants and blouses they had been sporting earlier. Pepper would be proud. 

“You put them on wrong again.” Reaching out, Tony quickly adjusted the goggles, flicking away a piece of dust from the red lenses. Those were one of his finer pieces of work and he would be the first to admit that he was a bit obsessed with them. 

Justin had come to his forge three years before with squinted eyes and a small bag of metal and glass clasped in his hand. Tony had assumed that he wanted him to make him a new pair of frames, but no, instead Justin had asked to BORROW his equipment, tipping out a few hunks of red glass into his hand. Red glass was rare, and Tony had damn near snatched it out of his hands to examine. As strong as any rock and with the ability to repel the sun’s rays from reaching the eyes, Justin had come to him with a vision in mind, but with no means to fulfill it. 

Together they worked long into the night and straight through to the next morning, Justin showing off a knack for glass work that rivaled Tony himself, and an art for metal design that he could not even hope to reach, all while half blind. By the time the sun had crested over the mountains, the goggles were finished and, upon the news that they worked perfectly, fully restoring Justin’s vision, Tony had a new partner for work. 

And as it turned out, a new partner in his “other activates” as well. 

While a blacksmith by trade, Tony’s true passion was invention, taking as much time as he could spare each day to trying to make the designs his mind concocted and bringing them to life. Justin too shared in this, more than one idea flying between them while they worked together in the hot forge all day, and come night their candles could be seen burning late as they drew, planned and hammered away. 

Giving the strap one last check, Tony delivered a sharp slap to Justin’s shoulder, slinging an arm over his shoulders and steering him towards the stairs. “Come on, coffee is calling and we have a lot to do today. Do you want to split the deliveries in half, or go together?”

“Together, if you don’t mind. The last time I went alone Romanoff manage to sneak up on me and I almost had to go to Bruce, my heart was racing so fast.” 

Tony let out a small laugh, pulling Justin into the kitchen where Pepper was waiting with two steaming mugs of coffee, a few pastries from the shop down the road sitting on a plate on the counter. Sliding up next to her, he gave the redhead a cheeky grin, taking the offered cup and taking a large gulp, sighing happily when the bitter liquid touched his tongue. That was the stuff. Next to him Justin was eagerly biting into a sticky pastry, a second one waiting in his hands and a third on a plate in front of him. “Your teeth are going to rot out of your head one of these days.”

Chewing quickly Justin licked the glaze from his fingers before replying. “And until that day comes I will happily consume as much as I wish.”

“And when they are all gone?”

“I can gum my way through them.”

“Ugh.”

Handing Justin his mug when he made a grabbing motion, Pepper set a list between them, tapping it. “This is who you have to see today. There are five sets of silverware, three shields, and a sword for the Huntsmen and Bruce needs that cabinet back that you were fixing the hinges on. After that you have a few more smaller pieces to fix, and I already had two people come by to see if you were ready to try the gold mending.” 

Groaning around a mouthful of bread, Tony shook his head, voice muffled. “Can’t. The parts from Obadiah haven’t come in yet so we can pour the gold into the cracks. We try it now and we’ll just end up making a VERY expensive mess.”

Nodding, Pepper scratched her quill across the paper, marking out the task. “I’ll tell them that it will take another week or so, but Tony, we can’t keep putting it off like this. I’m going to send out another letter or Obadiah. We are losing out on a lot of good business each time we set the gold mending back.” 

Shaking his head, Tony slapped away the sneaking fingers that were inching towards his plate, taking another chug of coffee. “I’ll take care of it, don’t worry Pep. It’s about time that I paid Obi a visit anyways.”

“You know I don’t like you doing that, Tony. The forest is off limits for a reason.”

 _‘The Forest’_ Tony thought with a snort. The Forest had been off limits for as long as Tony could remember. Hell, even his father and his grandfather could not remember when the ban started. All they had to go on was legend, and Tony was never one to take to those to heart. 

“Don’t you give me that, Tony. You know why we can’t go in there. It’s dangerous. Just yesterday the Huntsmen found another body outside of the gates. Just because you’ve made the trip before-"

“Over a dozen times!”

“Yes, yes, fine. Just because you’ve made it over a dozen times doesn’t make it any less dangerous. Activity in The Forest is getting worse, and there have been rumors of a new beast wandering at night that even the Huntsmen can’t seem to catch. People think…well…people think that it’s a werewolf.”

At that, Tony laughed. Werewolves were extinct, the memory of them used to scare children to staying in their houses at night. “You know as well as I do that those don’t exist anymore, Pep. The last one was seen over a hundred years ago. This happens every time a new monster comes by, they always go back to werewolves.” 

“That isn’t the point, Tony. The point is that something new is out there and I don’t want you to risk it.”

Setting his empty cup down, Tony stood up and placed a quick peck onto Pepper’s cheek. “Fine, have it your way. I’m gonna go grab the stuff now so Justin and I can head out.” Wiggling his fingers in a wave, he made his way out of the kitchen and outside to the forge.

Picking up the empty cup, Pepper watched Tony go. “He’s going to go anyways isn’t he?”  
“Yup.”

Sighing, she smacked Justin’s hand away, snatching up the last pastry for herself, taking a large bite, the sweet tang of cherry jelly flooding her taste buds. “I was afraid of that. You may as well get going, he’ll leave you behind if he has to.”

Pouting at the redhead, Justin swallowed the last of his coffee and set his cup in the sink, running out the door. “See you later, Pepper!”

“Be careful!”

“Always!”

\----

A soft tinkling at his door had Bruce looking up, the physician’s eyes widening when he saw who was at his door. In a flash he was up from his spot at his desk, papers fluttering slightly from his quick jump, and over to the two men in the door, one of them was clutching his arm to his chest, red seeping past his fingers. “What happened?”

Taking another step inside, Tony helped Justin over to the examination table up onto the soft leather padding; gently drawing the younger man’s fingers away from his wounded arm so he could roll the sleeve back. “One of our clients neglected to inform us that their dogs were in the yard still. Guess who will be paying this bill?” 

While his tone was playful, Tony’s eyes were dark with anger, teeth grit hard to keep his forced smile in place, and he watched like a hawk as Bruce examined the deep bites, gently padding at the bitten skin to clean away the blood so he could get a closer look. They would need stitches, there was no doubt about that, but as far as he could tell there were no bone splinters in the wound. An easy fix, if not a painful one. Sitting back he gathered the materials he would need. “Help him out of his shirt? I’ll give him a shot for the pain and then I can get that stitched up.”

Tony nodded and stood back a step, gently helping Justin out of his vest and torn shirt, making a mental note to get Batty to make him a new one as soon as possible. Clothing set to the side; he took another few steps back and watched as Bruce slid a thick needle into Justin’s arm, injecting him with a clear liquid that made him sigh with relief, the pained lines in his face smoothing out. 

“There we go. Not just stay as still as possible while I stitch you up.” Pulling out his needle and thread, Bruce set to work sewing the torn skin back together, fingers moving swift and sure, muttering low under his breath as he worked. The words were not anything Tony or Justin had ever heard before, but Bruce used them every time he was working, so no one brought it up, brushing it off as an odd quirk. 

“Now,” Bruce said, voice raising and switching back to English, “after I’m done here and have it wrapped, make sure not to list anything over five pounds for at least two weeks, which means no working.” Justin and Tony both let out loud groans. Neither of them was good at sitting still for long amounts of time, injured or not. 

“Pepper is gonna kill us.” Justin muttered, looking down to watch the stitches go in and out of his arm. It was a very odd feeling, seeing his skin being poked and stretched but not feeling anything. “We have all of those orders to do and I won’t be able to do a thing for weeks! This sucks, why is it always me that gets hurt outside of the forge?” Bumps and bruises, cuts and tripping. You name it and it’s happened to him at some point in time, sometimes all at once. In the forge he was the very measure of grace, not even one spark hitting his bare flesh while Tony walked out with burns and bumps. Take him out and onto the streets? He was a walking disaster area. 

Poking at the tools on the table, Tony moved his hand before Bruce could smack it, giving the doctor a cheeky smile. “She won’t kill you, Justin. You’ll just be stuck helping her with the boring parts of the job.” Looking at each other, a shudder ran down their spins and they echoed.

“Paperwork.”

\------

Pepper took one look at Justin’s hand, and the men’s sheepish grins, and sighed, pointing to the spare desk in the room.

“I’ll bring you some things to read through.”

\------

Several long hours later, when the sun had gone down and the lamps had been lit, Justin leaned back from his hunched over place on and desk and stretched up with a groan, working out the kinks that had formed in his back. He and Tony had clearly taken underestimated Pepper and her job here. She was like a machine, working through stack after stack of papers, marking down on them with a sharp, precise hand, red covering the thick pages. Order details that needed hashing out before being passed over to Tony for completion mixed with request letters made for a quickly cramped hand, but the redhead had been going strong since she sat down, stopping only for dinner before diving right back in.

“I think it’s time that we head to bed.” He spoke, shattering the comfortable silence they had been sitting in. Standing up from the table, he stretched again, and blew out the candle on his desk. “The moon is high, and we both need sleep. We can pick up first thing in the morning.”

Looking up from the order form she was looking over, Pepper nodded and set her quill down. It was getting late and her eyes had grown heavy several hours ago, but she wanted to get through as much as possible tonight before turning in for the night, but Justin was right. 

“Head on up, I’m going to clean up a bit here and I’ll head to bed afterwards.” 

Nodding, Justin turned and left the office, eager to fall down onto his bed and take another swing of the pain medication Bruce had given him before bed. Taking the stairs two at a time, he paused outside of Tony’s room, eyes narrowing when he noticed the darkness creeping out from under the door. Tony never went to sleep this early (well, early for him at least), the night owl he was. A growing suspicion was churning in his gut, and when he opened the door he let out a groan at what he saw.

Nothing.

Tony was gone, a line of tied sheets leading out the window for the blacksmiths quick escape without alerting him or Pepper. Reaching a hand up, Justin scrubbed it over his face and turned around to head back downstairs and alert Pepper of what had happened. There was nothing to be done about it now. They had no idea when Tony had left, and they already knew where he was going.

_“Over the river and through the woods…”_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we go....
> 
> All spelling and grammar mistakes are mine and mine alone. I apologize ahead of time.

“To Obie’s house I go!”

Laughing to himself, Tony hopped over a fallen log, heel kicking up a small tuff of soft moss as he went, swinging the basket in his hands. He didn’t even feel that bad about his latest escape. To be fair he HAD warned Pepper where he was going, he just followed through on it. 

Tipping his head back, the red hood of his cloak tipping back to pool around the base of his neck, Tony gazed up at the full moon, the bright light illuminating the near invisible path in front of him. He had walked these woods so much that he hardly needed the small markers he had set up years ago to lead his way. The moon made the trip easier than usual as well, despite the fact that a full moon also meant a very active forest, but he had chosen the safest path to travel, and was certain that he would make it through by morning without any issue. 

A soft rustling brought Tony’s attention back to the present, and gazed over to where he could hear movements in the bushes, lips twitching up into a smile when a large rabbit hopped out in front of him. It was not often that Night Hare’s came around his area, usually preferring the lush greenery near the river a few miles away, but it was a welcomes visitor none the less. 

Kneeling down, he reached into his basket and pulled out a cloth wrapped bundle, pulling out one of the apples he had pack himself to snack on, and took a bite of it, sucking off the juices before pulling the fruit from his mouth and offering it to the hare. 

“Here you go, go on. I won’t hurt you little guy. You must be hungry if you came so far from home.”

Hopping forward, the hare sniffed at the offering before settling back on his hind quarters and nibbling, it’s large ears flicking back and forth as it ate. 

Smile widening, Tony slowly shuffled forward, stilling each time the hare did, until his was directly in front of the large animal. Reaching out a hand he moved in slow, letting just the tips of his fingers rest against the soft fur, stroking between its long ears. Keeping his hand on the hare, he was quick to bite off another piece of apple as soon as the first was finished, laughing when the hare nearly took a nosedive to get it. 

“You dummy.”

Perking up, Tony looked down at the hare again, moving his hand down so he could pet its back and sides. “Dummy….I think that’s what I’ll call you!” 

Shuffling closer, Tony looped his arm under the hare’s stomach, and in one quick movement pulled it onto him lap, quickly checking the gender before holding the bitten apple out. Much to his surprise, the animal didn’t kick out or try to escape, and happily slumped into his embrace, chowing down on the fruit. “Yup, you are definitely a dummy, Dummy.”

Tossing the core to the side once Dummy was finished, Tony stood with the hare in his arms, snorting when he did nothing but shuffle a bit before slumping down in his embrace with a large, content sigh. Tony had forgotten how utterly LARGE Night Hare’s were, and he sighed when his attempt to set him down only ended in a wiggle, and unhappy squeak. “Yea, you’re going to be a pain in the ass.”

Oh well, there was nothing to do about it but get to Obie’s as quickly as possible so he could show off his latest invention, and buy a leash in town for the trip home. There was no way he was carting Dummy’s heavy self all the way BACK through the forest if he could help it. Leashes may not be made for hare’s, but he would find a way. 

“Okay, buddy, let’s get moving.” Hitching Dummy up onto his shoulder, Tony set off down the path once more, eyes trained on the dirt in front of him to make sure his didn’t trip over anything. The last thing he wanted to do right now was to fall over an upturned root or a misplaced rock, and end up squishing Dummy in the process. He had only gone a few feet when a small rustling sounded out once more, and Tony let out an amused huff, nudging Dummy with his chin. “Hey. You got friends back there?” 

Dummy squeaked, and Tony’s breath hitched when a high pitched growling came from behind. In his arms, the hare went stock still, and let out another frightened sound, huddling closer to Tony as if to beg the inventor to protect him. Looking over his shoulder, Tony paused long enough for his mind to register what was coming out of the underbrush, and then he was off. 

_Coyote’s._

Of all the things it had to be, it had to be coyote’s. Vermin of the worst king, the Huntsmen were constantly finding the half eaten remains of their kills on the outskirts of the city, and they had been responsible for several pets that had missing from the village over the years; and Tony was holding what was most likely supposed to be their dinner for the night. Well, fuck that. He had named him and Dummy was his now. He wouldn’t be letting him go without a fight. 

Boots pounding against the forest floor, Tony ran as fast as he could, his crimson cape fluttering behind him with each unsteady step he took, having to rely on memory to keep himself from tripping. Behind him several howls sounded out, and he felt a chill of fear run up his spine. One he could deal with. Two, if he was lucky, but from the sounds of it there were at least four on his trail, and that left only one option. 

Run.

“You better be worth it, you giant lump.” Tony panted, leg muscles beginning to strain. The howls were growing closer, far too close for Tony’s liking, and he knew it was only a matter of time. If he could reach the far end of the forest fast enough, he may be able to lose them in the dense undergrowth, or at least reach the fallen tree he had found some years back. The opening would be just big enough for him to squeeze into, the upper half of the tree still partially attached, making the bottom the only entrance. It wasn’t ideal, but Tony liked his chances of survival a lot more with the knowledge that the only way he could be reached was if they went after him one by one. A few good placed kicks and they would give up and, hopefully, count he and Dummy as lost causes. 

Putting on a burst of speed, Tony burst into the thick bushes and tight tree lines, winching when a a stray branch whipped out and smacked him across the face, a small drop of blood dripping down his cheek. “Almost there, almost there..” 

He could see it now, moonlight casting her shining glow onto the ancient log like a beacon. Just a few more feet and they were home free. Behind him, another howl pierced through his panic. They were right on his heels. Skidding to a stop in front of the log, Tony didn’t hesitate to peel Dummy from his shoulders and shove the hare into the opening, waiting a second for him to hop forward a few feet before crawling in after him. Tony let out a sigh of relief when he was inside the log, making his way after Dummy’s hopping form. He was only a few feet in when he felt a sharp tug come from behind him, and his eyes widened when he felt the neatly tied knot under his chin grow taunt. His cape. 

“Shit.”

Kicking out, he reached up to tug on the tie, gagging softly when another sharp yank tugged him back, the sound bleeding into a pained yelp, sharp pain lacing through his foot. Tony only had a brief moment to panic before the coyote’s fangs dug deeper into the soft leather of his boot, and twist, yanking him back and out of the logs opening, Dummy’s frightened squeaking following him out. 

Tony hit the ground with a yell and a kick, grinning when the heel of his other boot met the coyote’s nose with a solid crunch, scrambling to his hands and knees when the canine released his foot with a pained yelp, but before he could get more than a few inches up, a heavy weight came landing on him again and forced him back onto the ground, hot breath snarling in his ear, and a sharp set of teeth snapping.

Twisting as much as he could, Tony tossed a fist back, nailing the animal in the ribs and knocking it away enough for him to heave himself up, flipping the coyote away from him. 

Jumping to his feet, Tony’s head whipped around when a loud squeaking echoed from the log where one of the coyote’s was crawling into in search of their escaped meal. He lunched forward without thought and grabbed for the creatures tail, yanking it back and out with a hard yell, standing in front of the log, chest heaving and fists clenched at his sides. “You stay away from him, you mongrels!” 

Flipping to its feet, the coyote that Tony had tossed joined its brethren, the four of them forming a half circle around the shaking man, jaws snapping and saliva frothing at the mouth. Gulping, Tony hunkered down and braced himself, sending a silent prayer up to the gods when the first of the four leapt for him, knocking him down onto he forest floor, teeth digging hard into his shoulder though the fabric of his cloak. 

Letting out a sharp scream, Tony tried to roll himself over onto his back, fingers slipping over sharp teeth in an attempt to find a good grip to pull the coyote off, another yell ripping from his throat when a second pair of teeth clamped down on his leg. And suddenly they were everywhere. Biting, tearing, blood splashing down to drip into his eyes, and stain the dirt below. 

Tony felt himself slowly weakening under the assault, patch of vision growing dim and the howls and barks fading in and out. Laying in a daze, Tony stared at the fallen basket next to the log where he could still hear Dummy’s sounds of confusion and fright. How had a simple errand turned into this?

 _Pepper was right._ He thought muzzily. 

Above him, the coyote’s howled once more, a sound of victory over the fallen man, and Tony felt a sharp pair of teeth close around his throat, getting ready for the final strike. 

A loud yelp pierced the air, and the body over Tony was suddenly pulled away and tossed to the side, an ear splitting howl echoing through the small clearing, sending the rest of the coyote’s scattering. 

Tony watched through the growing darkness as a large figure walked past him and over to the log, Dummy’s frightened squeaks growing in volume before dying out, and Tony hoped he wasn’t dead. 

Using the last of his strength, Tony managed to turn himself onto his back, looking straight up into the eyes of his savoir. 

_What a lovely shade of blue._ He thought, and then all went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter is a little on the short side, but I promise things will start picking up soon!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am SO SORRY this took so long! Work is kicking my ass and I can't do anything about it
> 
> As always all grammar mistakes are mine, because I SUCK at grammar. Apologies ahead of time.

It was still night when Tony woke. 

Blinking a few times, the brunette stared up at the moonlight lit trees above him, trying to piece his mind back together from the hazy confusion he was drifting in. The last thing he could remember was pain, and then a loud snarl from above. After that everything seemed dim, the sounds of Dummy’s frantic squeaking following him into the dark. _‘Am I dead?’_

Rolling onto his side Tony became aware of several things at once:

One: He HURT. So, not dead. 

And two: There was a fire crackling cheerfully a few feet away from him, and someone was sitting next to it. 

Stilling in his roll, Tony hunched down as quietly as he could, closing his eyes as much as he could while still being able to see. Why was there someone else here? Did they scare away the coyote’s from before? Why would they help him? No one that comes into the forest is there just for a stroll, so what was this stranger doing just wandering around in the middle of the night? And why did he help him?

Looking him over, Tony felt his breath catch when he got a better view of his savior. He was big. Not overly huge like some of the men back home, but well built with a thick thighs and a strong chest. A dark cloak covered his arms and head, but from what little he could see his hair was long, maybe chins length from the way it framed his cheeks and fell into his eyes. Breath catching, Tony felt his heart stutter to a stop when he saw the strangers eyes. A familiar piercing blue stared out from under the hood. No, no out from, but at. 

At HIM to be more specific. Shit. 

“So, you’re awake. You hungry?”

Winching, Tony slowly sat up, arm coming up to wrap around his ribs when a shot of pain stabbed up his side, catching his breath in his throat. Taking in a few sips of air, Tony became aware of another fact. This stranger, whoever he was, had bandaged him up as best he could. He could feel the wraps around his legs and chest, and the cooling numbness of whatever medicine he had used keeping the many cuts and bites littering his body from sending him back to the bed of moss he had been laying on. It was only when his cloak shift that he became aware of something else. Aside from the red cloth laying over him he wasn’t wearing a stitch. 

He was naked. 

Face heating, he let out a small squeak, and grabbed for the edged of the cloak, pulling it close and glaring when the stranger started to chuckle. “This isn’t funny, you creep! Where are my clothes?”

Grinning, the figure reached up and pulled his hood back, holding up what he had been working on earlier. “I’m sewing them back up for you. I had to get them off to tend to your wounds, and I figured I would fix them up for you while waiting for dinner to cook. I’m almost done, so give me a few more minutes, yea?”

Pulling the cloak closer, Tony pulled his knees up, wrapping his arms around them, toes curling into the moss under him. “Hurry it up. Naked in the middle of the woods with a strange man was not how I envisioned my evening going.”

“Really? Sounds like a good night to me…minus the coyote attack, of course.” Sending Tony a wink, the man continued his work, fingers making quick work with the needle and thread over the last of many holes that had been littered over Tony’s clothing. “The name’s James, but everyone I know calls me Bucky. What’s your name?”

“Tony.” 

Looking up when where he had been staring at his feet, Tony let out a startled yelp when his pants and shirt landed on his head, yanking the blouse down to glare at Bucky, huffing when he gained a cheeky grin in return. Shuffling for a moment, he managed to get his pants under the cloak, lifting his hips up so he could tug them on. “Thanks.”

“Welcome. How are you feeling? You were a mess when I managed to drive those vermin off of you.”

Shrugging, Tony stretched out his legs and flexed his arms a few times. The pain was there, and would be for a few days to come, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. He told Bucky so while letting his cloak drop down completely so he could shrug his shirt on, looking around for his vest and boots, snatching them up with a mutter of thanks when Bucky pointed to the tree next to him. Finger doing up the last lace, Tony stilled, eyes widening when a thought came to mind. “Dummy!”

“What?” Looking from where poking at the cooking meat, Bucky frowned. “Well that’s a right lovely thing to call your savior.”

“No not you, I mean Dummy! I was trying to save him from the coyotes. It’s why they were chasing me! I need to go and get him.” Scrambling to his knees, Tony grabbed at his cloak, pausing when a grumpy squeak came from the end of it, a sleepy face poking out from the bottom folds. “Dummy?”

“THAT'S Dummy? I was wondering why he was shoved up a log. The thing followed me when I was carrying you off and laid down after I got you bandaged up.” Pulling a knife from his boot, Bucky sliced at the cooking meat, fire hissing when drips of grease hit the hot flames, and placed a good sized portion onto a piece of dry bark. Getting up and walking over to Tony and kneeled in front of him, holding the makeshift plate out. “Here, eat. You need it after the night you had.”

Taking the bark, Tony nodded his thanks, gathering Dummy up on his lap before settling against the tree, and taking a bite, licking the grease from his fingers. “Thanks. What is it?”

Grabbing his own helping, Bucky at down across from the blacksmith, tearing into the flesh with a sharp bite. “Coyote.”

Pausing with a bite to his mouth, Tony stared down at the meat with wide eyes, slowly placing it back onto the bark and sat back against the tree. “Uhhh…thanks. But I’m not that hungry…”

A loud rumble interrupted him and Tony glared down at his traitorous stomach. Okay, so he was starving, but he wasn't keen on eating dog. Especially not the body of the one that attacked him. A piece of meat being pressed to his lips interrupted his thoughts, and he blinked down at the hand pressing it to his lips, following the trail up to meet Bucky's smile, the older man pressing down harder until his lips parted to accept the bite.

"There we go. I know it's not the most appetizing thing to you right now, but if you want to make it through the woods by morning you'll need it. Come on, have some more." Picking up another piece he pressed it into Tony's mouth before he could protest, the sharp point of his nail light scraping over his lip when he pulled his fingers back. 

Chewing and swallowing, Tony waved Bucky's hand away when he tried to feed him another piece, instead picking up the bark from his lap and eating one on his own. It wasn't so bad once he got used to it. He could almost pretend that it was deer as long as he didn't look too close at the skewered body over the fire. His bark was picked clean in no time, and he settled back against the tree with a content sigh. He hated to admit it, but Bucky had been right when he said that the food would make him feel better. His wounds still stung, but the dizzy feeling was gone and he no longer felt that he would fall down if he tried to stand up. 

Watching his companion out of the corner of his eyes, Tony opened his mouth and shut it. Repeating a few times he finally managed to get out the question that had been itching at his brain. "So why is your arm covered?"

Pausing, meat halfway to his mouth, Bucky followed Tony's line of site to where his dark cloak was wrapped tight around his side, covering his arm completely. Glancing back at Tony he felt a flash of amusement at the other mans intent stare, curiosity written all over his face. He took his time answering; finishing his meal and setting the bark into the fire before he even turned to face Tony. By then the blacksmith was practically vibrating with impatience, and Bucky didn't have it in him to hold out any longer. "Sorry, that's a secret."

You would have think someone had expelled all the air from Tony's body, the way he slumped down with an unhappy groan. "You kept me waiting for THAT?"

Laughing, Bucky reached over and playfully shook Tony's foot. "I don't recall saying that I would tell you, you just assumed that I would."

Huffing, Tony crossed his arms with a scowl and grumbled to himself for a moment. Bucky had his him. He never DID say that he was going to tell him anything, he just assumed that the other mans silence was him preparing the tale for him. If Obie was here he would have been telling him off for expecting everything to be handed to him when he wanted it. He was spoiled like that. 

That thought in mind, Tony gathered Dummy up in his arms, adjusting the hare so he could pick his basket up from the side of the tree. If the moon was anything to go by the sun would be rising soon, and he was only about halfway out of the woods. He would need to hurry if he was going to make it to the village in time. 

"Where are you going?"

Looking over at Bucky, Tony smiled and bowed his thanks. "I'm sorry, but I have somewhere I have to be in the morning, which was the entire reason I went this way in the first place. I need to get going. Uhhh..." 

What exactly did you say to the man that saved your life? He thought briefly of offering a kiss, but dismissed it right away, images of his body being chopped up and buried flashing through his mind. 

"If..uh...if you're ever in the village feel free to come by my shop, it will be the one with the loud cursing and smoke coming from the roof most days; I'll give you a room that you can stay in anytime you want." 

Turning, he started out of the clearing, Dummy hitched over his shoulder. Behind him there was a soft curse followed by a frantic kicking sound, the glow of the fire going out and casting the path in front of him into darkness. 

"Hey. Hey wait up!" Jogging up to meet him, Bucky stepped in line with Tony. "If you think I'm letting you go off alone after all the effort I went to save your ass you're wrong. I didn't patch you up just for you to get yourself into another mess."

Shifting Dummy to his other shoulder with a sigh, Tony shook his head and kept his head facing towards the ground, his free hand gripping his basket tight. "I just told you I have to be somewhere by morning. I don't have much of a CHOICE in the matter. I need to get there and finish up as quickly as possible so I can get home by late tomorrow. My assistant would kill me if I was gone any longer."

Nodding, Bucky reached out and took Dummy from Tony's arms, easily cradling the large hare to him. "Fine, but I'm going with you. I'll see you there and back home again. You NEED to take it easy or you'll tear your stitches open; which means no lugging around giant bunnies."

Letting his hands drop from where he was trying to take Dummy back, Tony huffed and rolled his eyes.   
"You know what? Fine. We'll do things your way, you can be my escort; I'm hurting too much to argue with you right now. Can we get going? I want to be in my bed as soon as possible."

"Lead the way, Little Red."

"Don't you even.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you guys think? Anything you would like to see happen? TELL ME


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